North East & Yorkshire Reviews

Writer/Director: Suzanne Andrade Music: Lillian Henley Designer: Esme Appleton Animator: Paul Barritt Reviewer: Ron Simpson Golem is one of those shows where it’s difficult to visualise what you’re about to see from the advance publicity. In this case, however, it’s almost as difficult afterwards to describe what you’ve seen. To start with the obvious, Golem is a brilliant piece of ...

Director: Kerry Michael Music & Lyrics: Pete Townsend Musical Director: Robert Hyman Reviewer: Jim Gillespie When Pete Townsend first created the “deaf, dumb and blind” hero, Tommy, he probably intended his disabilities to be symbolic. In the hands of New Wolsey Theatre and Ramps on the Moon, they are far more than this, as a cast and creative team which ...

Writers: Jim Cartwright Director: Paul Robinson Designer: Tim Meacock Composer/Musical Director: Simon Slater Reviewer: Rob Atkinson When a production receives a spontaneous standing ovation, as The Rise and Fall of Little Voice so deservedly did at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre, then the mere words of a review can only restate the obvious: here was a resounding success based on a ...

Writer: Zodwa Nyoni Director: James Brining Reviewer: Rich Jevons At first, upon entering the auditorium, it could be easy to feel disappointed by the five microphones arranged neatly in a line. Not so, the stage is set for five poets, ready for their turn under the spotlight in the poetry slam. As the show progresses it becomes much more of ...

Writer: Laurence Peacock Composer: Hollie Morrell Director: Kyle Williams Musical Director: Dominic Lo Reviewer: Ron Simpson Blowfish Theatre is in a race against time: can the company finish the current tour before Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister? Equally will the scheduled Trump the Musical be beaten to the finishing line by his impeachment? Such is the lot of the makers ...

Performers: Rory Bremner, Jan Ravens & Jo Caulfield Reviewer: Ron Simpson Times are hard for a satirical political impressionist. In his Wakefield show Rory Bremner himself quoted the great Tom Lehrer: “Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,” and things, he claimed, have got worse since 1973 – and who would disagree? So, although his Donald ...